The Vanguard
=Background= 315px The Vanguard are a special administrative political coalition and the Empress's Royal Guard. The Vanguard is made up of several interelated forces. The kegions of the Imperial Knights are the largest, the Empires elite fighting forces. Task Force: Rising Sun is the personal escort and guard force of the empress, made up of a full strength cohort and a number of ships from each legion. The Vanguard also operates its own intelligence service the Oculorum Imperialis as a direct counter to Memory Omega, and as a watchdog over the other agencies of the Department of Benevolence, as a direct Imperial control. =Symbols= ?- =Ranks= Her Majesty's Paladins 215px Those chosen to be an Imperial Paladin are Elite of the Elite, there are no finer and more honorable warriors in all of the Imperial Union. The Imperial Paladins are the Empress's Shield and if necessary her blazing sword of justice. To be a paladin requires the most noble of sacrifices, one sacrifices all things pertaining to a normal life to become one, they forsake all other things to be the ultimate embodiment of the Empress's will. Each Paladin is chosen from among the highest ranking, longest serving knights to command one of the twelve legions of the Imperial Knights. As such, each paladin has enormous potential power under his or her control, commanding a force of superhumans, as well as the starships to move them anywhere in the empire. As such, only the most trusted are elevated to this rank. Imperial Knight 215px Armiger 215px Armigers are the rank and file of the Vanguard. They are recruited from all over the Imperium, but draw most of their recruits from the Imperial Starfleet and Imperial Guard, looking for trained soldiers who have proven their ability. Armigers undergo a process of conditioning known as Initiation. The process, performed aboard the secret Novensiles Station, in orbit over Antioch, the Vanguard's ventral headquarters, is based off the recovered work of Dr. Noonien Soong and Khan Noonien Singh, including both cybernetic and bio-technical augmentation of the body, as well as mental conditioning and flash imprint training to impart needed skills, as well as ensure unwavering loyalty to the empress, her family, and those appointed as such by her. After Initiation, an Armiger is presented to the cadres from each legion, and is selected by one to join them. Armigers make up the bulk of the legion's warriors, as well as the crew of their starships. After ten years service, or earlier if there is a need and he or she has proven themselves, an armiger is promoted to the rank of knight. Armirgers who have not earned this honor after ten years, or otherwise have washed out, are not wasted, however, They are instead transferred to the Oculorum Imperialis, which trains these men and women as commissars, and inserts them into the other branches of the Imperial military and civil service, visibly or secretly as watchers, to ensure that Imperial orders are carried out and traitorous conspiracies are rooted out. =The Legions= The legions of the Vanguard are the largest subunit of the organization, and the chief loyalty of the legionaries after the empress. Each legion has an Imperial world as its home base, whre it maintains its keep, barracks, docks, and other facilities. A legion is established by the command of the empress, typically on a newly liberated key planet. The legion's officers and troops are drawn from the existing legions, and given a grant of land and funds with which to build a home base. Each legion is made up of a large number of subunits, as follows: Legion - Usually ten Cohorts, with more or less depending on the empress's consent and availability or recruits. Lef by one of the Paladins. Cohort - At least two Maniples, with no firm upper limit. Led by a Knight-Commander. Maniple - Two to five Centuries, led by a Knight-Captain and several Knight-Lieutenants. Century - Ten Lances, led by a Knight-Major and a number of Knight-Sergeants. Lance - Led by a Knight-Corporal. 8 Knights or Armigers. Beyond this, each legion maintains starships and spacecraft suitable to its size, missions, and location. These vessels are crewed by armigers and knights with backgrounds in the Imperial Starfleet. (Names and number of such temporary/wip/not final) Legio I Primoris Legio III Rapax Legio IV Ferrata Legio V Ultrix Legio VI Atrox Legio VII Audax Legio VIII Legio IX Liberatrix Legio X Fulminata Legio XII Vorax Legio XIII Victrix Legio XIV